Waxes and other surface enhancement compositions seek to protect surfaces, most commonly found on today's automobiles, from external harmful sources. Additionally, waxes enhance the surface appearance producing a pleasing shine and luster. Once applied, wax coats each surface forming a protective layer above the surface. The wax film repels most harmful environmental conditions such as weather, road salts, and dirt, thus protecting the surface finish beneath. Currently, the first step before the application of wax to any surface entails thoroughly cleaning the surface. Wax does not bond as well to a dirty surface as to a cleaned surface. Waxing a dirty surface creates a nonaesthetic finish which is harmful to the integrity of the paint by trapping caustic or reactive contaminants next to the paint. Dirt particles possess a platelet structure. On a surface, these platelets arrange themselves to create a positive highly charged surface field which accelerates the degradation of the paint. Further corrosive actions of grease, grime and caustic particulates such as acid rain also take place on the dirty surface. Thus, waxing an unclean surface results in an uneven wax distribution on the surface that looks worse and provides less than optimal protection to the waxed surface. This is not the case for clean surfaces.
Clean surfaces are essentially uncharged and nonpolar. Wax adheres to clean surfaces because waxes are also nonpolar and noncharged by their nature. As the wax is applied, it coats and recoats the surface until an optimum wax thickness is achieved.
Normally, the best protection occurs with a maximum wax thickness on the surface. Over time, environmental conditions wear down the wax surface coating. Particulates in the air combine with rainwater, wind, and other elements to act as an abrasive and break down the wax, thus exposing the surface. Thus, placing more wax on the surface increases its resistance to environmental conditions. Consequently, wax makers seek chemical means to attach greater amounts of wax to a surface. This goal is achieved by improving wax bonding and stability. A variety of techniques accomplishes bonding enhancement and stability. First, wax compositions include chemical bonding agents added to the wax to enhance adhesion to the surface.
Second, waxes may contain microabrasives to increase the wax's holding power. Micro abrasives interlock wax layers in an effort to increase the total thickness of the wax.
Third, wax formulations attempt to decrease their viscosity in order to reduce the thicker surface tension of waxed surfaces and enhance wax flow. Fourth, making a wax paste composition creates a thicker wax buildup on the surface.
Each of these methods seeks to increase the surface wax thickness of the wax mixture. Yet, each is limited by the quality of the wax-to-surface and wax-to-wax adhesiveness.
The current methods of wax application seek to force as much wax onto the substrate as the wax and surface will hold. This overloading relies on rubbing the wax onto the surface in large quantities. Further, to optimize overloading, wax makers recommend application under specific, limited conditions such as cool, shady, and dry weather. As the waxing process continues and upon reaching the overloading limit, the wax dries leaving a film residue of excess, nonadhered wax to remove. Buffing off the residue allows the wax that adheres to the surface to remain. The powdery residue which is released from the surface during buffing consists of the material that overloads the surface and exceeds the wax-loading capacity. The wax loading capacity and concomitantly resulting residue thus depends on the surface properties. For example, a rougher surface can hold more wax than a smoother surface. Thus, optimizing the wax adherence to the surface results from the wax stability and the surface's ability to hold the wax. The surface holding ability in turn, involves both the surface polarity as well as the degree of surface irregularities.
An automobile displays many dissimilar materials. For example, a car includes polished and painted metals, clean and painted plastics, rubber, glass, wood, vinyl, and leather, as well as combinations and hybrids of these. Each material possesses various surface compositions, textures and colors. As a result of this mix of surfaces, cleaning and polishing these materials to obtain the optimum performance and owner satisfaction pose unique challenges.
Waxing an exterior surface of an automobile composed of painted and unpainted, metallic, rubberized, plastic, vinyl, and glass surfaces involves different types of waxes, cleaners and effort. For example, formulations for plastic trim material will streak a glass windshield. A metal body-waxing product may contain abrasives that if used on the windshield will scratch the glass. Thus, traditionally refurbishing a car's exterior required one compound for the body panels, a second mixture for the rubber, a third for the glass and yet a fourth for the plastic and vinyl trim.
Increased difficulties arise when waxing different surfaces, for example edge trim, that include combinations of materials such as strips of chrome, vinyl, and other plastic attached side-by-side. Wax formulations for one material can intermix with another creating undesired results. Therefore, various cleaning and polishing products must not mix with each other when working on different surfaces. For example, if the body-waxing compound makes contact with rubber or plastic an unsightly wax residue congeals on these surfaces. This residue takes significant effort to remove. Congealing occurs because these compounds contain waxes dissolved in organic solvents. The solvents in the wax react with the rubber or plastic producing the congealed residue.
Mixing different chemicals creates many dangerous side effects. For example, ammonia combined with certain chlorides creates highly toxic chlorine gas. The consumer does not always understand the warning labels on certain cleansers listing the hazards of mixing various materials. These dangers increase when label warnings include complex chemical names not easily understood.
Consumer use of organic solvents poses health and safety risks. These chemicals and organic solvents, when contacting exposed hands, can cause eye and skin irritations. To limit hand contact, most wax compounds recommend the use of plastic gloves. However, some solvents required to do a sufficient job of dissolving waxes in these formulas may in fact disintegrate the plastic gloves over repeated contacts. Thus, gloves provide limited protection.
In addition, each wax composition requires different applicators. A soft cloth used for polishing painted surfaces proves inadequate for a rubber tire, which instead requires a stiff bristle brush. Additionally, some wax compositions require multiple applications.
Traditional waxes typically require a two-step application even after thoroughly cleaning the surface. The first step applies the wax to the surface as a thick coating. The second step buffs excess dried wax from the surface.
Buffing the wax creates a reflective surface by smoothing and shaping the wax and effectively filling in surface irregularities. The wax becomes a kind of second skin to the surface. The dried excess wax on the surface turns to powdery dried wax particles. This powdery residue flakes off the surface, and easily becomes airborne which then can be inhaled or ingested. The particles may have biodegradable solvent by-products and pollute the environment. Airborne pollutants also prove dangerous to consumers and put small children, the elderly, those with existing heath problems, and pets at excessive risk. The best approach is to avoid substances that will create airborne particles.
Another serious environmental concern focuses on volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOC's are organic compounds that remain active at one atmospheric pressure with low vapor pressure. Once created, VOC's do not biodegrade and forever remain pollutants. Although some cleaning compounds claim to have low levels of VOCs, even small amounts produce significant environmental concerns and over time pose health risks.
Further, most organic solvents are highly flammable and chemically abrasive. Additionally, VOC's can ignite when exposed to fire, heat or sunlight. A consumer may risk serious injury polishing a car on an extremely hot sunny day. VOC's can also damage painted surfaces and plastics by etching the finish.
Some products for differing automotive surfaces attempt to provide a solution However, multiuse compounds have limited utility for only similar surface types like painted surfaces, metallic surfaces, plastic and vinyl trim. For example, the exclusion of only glass makes a multiuse compound unsuitable. Significant physical effort and time are required to apply and buff different surfaces, even with multiple or multiuse waxing compounds.
Ordinarily, cleaning and polishing a car takes place out of doors. This makes weather a consideration. Further, to increase the surface coating stability, wax makers recommend that the application occur under dry, cool conditions and in the shade. This is because under hot sunlight, wax congeals too quickly and creates a thick wax coating which is difficult to buff and leaves an unappealing surface appearance. Further, some applications of some glass cleaners and waxes streak if applied in sunlight.
In the alternative, wax makers caution against applying during rain because the compound becomes too diluted to adhere to the surface. In fact, several waxes on the market specify that the application must take place when the relative humidity remains within a specified range.
Finally, temperature poses a problem in the application of some waxes. Excessively high and low temperatures alter the drying time and the viscosity of the cleaning and waxing materials. This results not only in a change in labor times but also effectiveness. Thus, wax behaves differently when applied in sunlight, low temperature, dry weather and high humidity. A remedy is a combination cleaner and wax that overcomes the difficulties of cleaning a car out of doors.
Thus, waxing today's automobiles poses significant challenges that demand a modern wax solution capable of coating any surface. These include painted surfaces, a painted metallic body, a wood dashboard, a rubberized element, a chrome component, a plastic trim strip, a vinyl strip, a glass headlight lens or a glass windshield without organic solvents and abrasives. The wax should also minimize health and safety concerns in a quick and effortless, single application.